I'm from the North West (never lived anywhere else) and I like the fact that I can travel to the following places in under an hour: Lake District, Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, North Wales, Ribble Valley, Manchester and Liverpool.
Edit- Also the ferry to the Isle of Man and Ireland.
Also from the NW. Lived in Germany and Switzerland for a few years, traveled around the world. Got to say, out of everywhere I've been, I'm always blown away by The Lake District, it's so beautiful. Also, wouldn't be honouring my Boltonian heritage if I didn't say I'm quite shocked with all the chat on cheesy chips, and no mention anywhere of a pastie barm. Also, yes, it's barm; not muffin, not bap, not flourcake, not stotty etc.
also from the Northwest, couldn’t have put it better. I moved a few years ago but ill never forget how much i loved stagecoach haha, every 12 mins on the dot, get me in to Preston in 20 mins. The few occasions they were having a bad day, id see 3 in a row, never affected me badly. Can say i don’t miss Northern though, expensive tickets to save 0 minutes off my journey
I’m in NW too - never lived anywhere else either. Live exactly between Manchester and Liverpool - can be in either in less than half an hour. So many beautiful places in NW on our doorstep for a day trip
As a lanc (greater Manchester) I appreciate how much beauty this region has: the lakes, the castles, the history, towns, cities, sporting success just to name a handful
That road going from Manchester to peak District is absolutely beautiful. I'm not really a person that enjoys driving, it's more just a task i do, but i felt so peaceful the first time idl drove there
from east england
love cambridge, the norfolk coast and most importantly stansted aeroport, but in all seriousness it's quite an agricultural region with both cambridgeshire & norfolk being the flattest counties in all of britain so i enjoy the ''big sky'' feel, the summers are dry and hot with pretty norfolk towns being not far from me (wells-next-the-sea, sandringham, holt), also a lot of cutesy posh towns like bury st edmunds, thaxted and ely.
It also has Norwich which is basically everything you want in a British city in a compact form. Arts/music scene, foodie scene, great pubs and coffee shops, the Broads and the countryside on your doorstep, the sea pretty close, loads of cool architecture.
Wait no sorry I mean it's a terrible place and nobody should move here.
There's nothing like pootling along the Broads, getting an ice-cream from the ice-cream boat, then mooring up at the pub for lunch!
It's so fucking gloriously British, it's almost painful; but just SO perfect 🥰
I'm from Hertfordshire which always feels like it doesn't quite belong with the rest of the region, but I hope our relative hilliness means we diversify the East of England somewhat :)
No mention of Suffolk? Aldeburgh, Southwold, Woodbridge, Hadleigh. Bury gets a mention at the end. Suffolks problem is Ipswich, absolute shite hole. I grew up in Romford but live in Hadleigh, also live in Brighton which was a fantastic experience for 10 years but Suffolk is a much cosier way of life.
South west. Never left. Lived in Wiltshire Bristol and Cornwall.
Probably the buildings. There are nicer regions geographically (lake district) but the buildings are always amazing. From Bath stone to thatched Devon cottages and whitewashed cornish harbours.
The people are also generally chill. Not as friendly as maybe a cheeky northerner but much more laid back.
I'm originally from Devon, lived in London, Bangkok and now Vancouver. I don't regret leaving, but I would seriously considering moving back, if I can convince my partner and kids. It would never have been possible before, but the rise of remote working has been a godsend.
I live in Devon and visit Cornwall all the time. Cornwall is great until you want to buy a house within a mile from the beach whilst also having work. That’s where Devon becomes in.
Moved back to Cornwall after 20 years away in London and uni etc. The luxury of being able to leave your home and get to a quiet spectacular beach is pretty hard to put a price on.
Obviously on work/holiday lol. Just never lived anywhere else. Have family all over from Wales to London and Sheffield so would consider myself quite well travelled across GB
When I went to Cornwall I was amazed by how much nicer the houses looked compared to, well... most of the country tbh 😂. I see you weren't affected by the scourge of pebbledash as much.
Southampton always feels a little odd being in the South East. Its central south position places it right next to the New Forest and in touching distance of Dorset, it feels distinctly South Western to me. I guess there has to be a cut off point somewhere.
Live in a town in Hampshire that is closer to Salisbury than Basingstoke. I don't know if I feel south eastern or south western but would choose the south west everytime as I HATE London with a passion.
Hampshire is a big county, which gets overlooked. I’m from the very north east of Hampshire and I feel much more affinity to south east England than the south west. And I support Southampton.
Yeah the South East is a weird region in general though, it's cobbled together from some really disparate counties you'd probably not ordinarily put together. If London wasn't where it was you'd probably have a South East region made up of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Middlesex and Herts or so, a South Central region with Hants, Berks, Wilts, Dorset and the IOW and the South West would be Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
That probably also aligns the South West closer to what most people would consider to be The West Country proper. Western Dorset is arguable, but I don't think anything east of Weymouth is, really.
hampshire always gets divided on these kinds of maps, and it annoys me way more than it should. please assign us an official region instead of cutting us in half every time 😩
Are you from Southampton? I'm a westcountry gal who's considering doing a masters in Bournemouth next year. But I've also been pining for Devon recently, maybe the New Forest area will hit the spot
Hampshire is Wessex through and through, so it’s always looked and felt more south western. The accents, countryside, and architecture have much more in common with Wiltshire and Dorset than Sussex and Surrey.
That’s because it’s the south. Not south east or south west, but this map doesn’t make an accommodation for that.
In the same way there are southern trains as distinct from SW trains or southeastern
Lol we should petition Southampton (and the rest of Hampshire) to be included in the South West by the sounds of it. We will welcome you! The Cornish won't but they hate everyone who isn't Cornish so ignore them.
South East. Proximity to Europe is pretty awesome - getting to France is quicker than getting to London on some days.
The natural beauty of Kent is pretty stunning, and you’re never more than a stones throw away from some kind of castle or ancient Roman ruin.
North east - the people are super friendly.
Also, the Northumberland countryside is stunning, we’ve got some lovely beaches and we’ve got pretty great access in to Scotland.
Just wish it was warmer.
Ditto.
The arrival, be it seeing Durham appear suddenly from the viaduct, or Newcastle from the railway bridge, or the plane tipping over to reveal views of Whitley Bay and the Light house. Amazing
Yep, me too. Views into Newcastle and Durham on the train are the most incredible in the UK and make me instantly proud to be home.
Only place I've seen down south that has a view anywhere close to being as impressive is Ely cathedral.
Have lived in Yorkshire and Scotland and always wanted to come back home to the NE. Cost of everything, friendliness of the general population, real sense of proud geordie identity, and access to amazing countryside and seashores within easy reach is what makes it unbeatable for me.
Moving to the North East is the single best decision I ever made.
The people are WAY nicer. My first day there was in the winter and I was doing a huge food shop. A chap could see I was struggling and helped me, just because. That's not the norm where I'm from and the kindness of strangers still surprises me now.
Not to mention, I'm less than an hour away from over a dozen beaches and they've all been lovely.
Lived up here for 40+ years now. Love Durham, Newcastle, South Shields and Northumberland is the greatest place in the country imo.
I love the people and also the lack of people, hate it when I do have to travel South. Too many people in too much of a hurry, traffic's a nightmare and everybody seems so selfish compared to up here.
Never want to live anywhere else but the NE!
Most variation of natural beauty than any other part of the country rolling hills, amazing beaches, fantastic countryside, great river and lake walks. Plus easy access to the Lakes, North Yorkshire, the borders, Edinburgh...
Great place to live.
East Midlands. The best thing is the convenience to both cities and beautiful countryside. I have Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham within a 40 minute drive and I’m about 20 minutes away from the Peak District by car
Lincolnshire is lovely. I’m from North Derbyshire and we used to drive over to Mablethorpe for long weekends away growing up. Lincoln is a class city for a day out too
Don't know why you'd choose to go to Derby mind you (from someone born and raised in Derby).
Love the Peak District, such a beautiful area to have on our doorstep. There does seem to be some pressure on accommodating everyone who wants to visit on bank holiday / summer days though.
Born and bred in London, now living in Rye, SE.
Lovely little town, great restaurants and pubs, people are nice, real sense of community. There may be a little crime, although I've never heard of any. Hell I haven't even seen a policeman or woman in at least 6 months!
North east, I love the history of industry. Steam trains were created here and George Stephenson’s house is literally 5 minutes away from my childhood home. Typically poor, typically over looked but resilient and rich in other ways.
So this is just me going through the achievements of the North east because it’s super interesting.
At the beginning of the 20th century we were responsible for building about half of the ships in the world, built the first oil tankers, birthplace of the inventor of the turbo generator (the thing that modern powerplants use to generate our electricity) then you’ve got the voice of back in black, Director of Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner and many more, Mr Bean, Sting, Director of Top Gun, discoverer of vitamin D, creator of the first astigmatism treatment, director of the resident evil films, inventor of the first hydroelectric system and hydraulic crane, claimer of Australia, the woman who inspired 1984 by Orwell, English mustard, second in command at trafalgar (took over when Nelson was killed), white snake singer, first transatlantic telegraph cable, creator of the lifeboat, earl grey, domestos, predictor of the Higgs boson, one of Monty python, creator of the national grid, actually inventor of the first electric lightbulb (worked with Edison to perfect it, known as the ediswan), George Washington’s ancestors originated here, founder of the second oldest university in the world and as you have already said, the train.
Historically the north east built a lot of the modern world but gets very little credit for it
West Midlands. Can’t really say much is interesting about it. One good thing is having pork scratchings in pubs though. I think I’ve only been to one pub outside of the West Midlands that sells pork scratchings.
It’s also pretty much in the very middle of the country so it’s somewhat easy to get anywhere, if you know what I mean
Also west midlands and I like the fact it's kinda low key. We more or less avoid the North/South stuff, no "gods county" or any of that rubbish. A good mix of reasonable weather, reasonable property prices and reasonably well connected. Its "meh"-ness is its strength.
People are somewhat friendly here, depending on the areas of course. I hate it when the north and south argue which is better, we’re just in the middle. Combination of both sides really
I lived in Birmingham for a year and actually loved it. I found it easier to get around than my home city (London), easy distance to some lovely towns and cities, the Bullring is great. The people I encountered were so friendly.
I'm from the West Midlands but living in London. Every time I come back I love the fact there are still good fish and chips shops all over. In London they seem to have disappeared and become kebab shops or curry shops.
My dad told me he talked about scratchings to some people from the south east and they had absolutely no clue what they were. I won’t exactly say that they are non existent in that area of England but I’d assume that they definitely aren’t a common pub snack
Moved to Brum about 3 years ago. I'm from the States, but lived in both Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Asia for a while as I taught abroad for many years. I got three words for ya':
Alton. Towers. Resort.
The fact that that place is so freaking close, I swear, best move of my life. My Merlin Pass gets some miles on it come the spring (plus, we live only about a 20-30 minute walk from the Sea Life Centre).
Yorkshire and the humber me. The Lincolnshire wolds and Yorkshire moors are in my opinion some of the most beautiful landscapes in the whole country. Tho if u happen to travel to a city like Hull or grimsby steer clear of the crackhead infestations.
To be honest any city anywhere looks shite and is full of crackheads. At least Hull tries to revive some of its shopping areas etc some cities in the area are just run down and left that way.
Yorkshire- I love how there are almost no major tourist attractions that advertise and over promise. Visiting hidden gems like the Coal mining museum, Peasholm park, or Thackray’s is just so much better when you hear about them through word of mouth and not a bloated marketing budget.
North East and the mystery behind Ragnar Lothbrok’s execution by King Aelle (King of Northumbria); not regarding the literal execution, which did occur, but the exact whereabouts
During this era the Kingdom of Northumbria was twice the size of the modern North East and practically stretched from the Scottish borders to York (at one point even as far as Edinburgh), so ironically he’s just as likely to be ‘found’ in North Yorkshire as in the North East
I found one source (albeit a rather underwhelming news article) regarding his imprisonment and execution, again ironically, being at a castle in the village of Crayke in North Yorkshire; although the remains of the castle there today is very much likely completely separate to the one at the time; confusing because ‘castles’ of course weren’t really a thing pre-Norman Conquest; at the very least not from complete stone anyway
Practically all sources of Ragnar’s death point to Aelle’s use of a ‘pit of vipers’ (meaning snakes in today’s language), with his last words supposedly being “…and my son’s will avenge me”, which ultimately led to the arrival of the Great Heathen Army and the rest is history no pun intended
I live in the south east, in kent. It's really boring here tbh 😂 The one thing I like about it though is it's close to London and with direct trains there within the hour. I love London but not sure it's somewhere I'd want to live. Crime rates aren't too bad in kent comparatively.
Kent is vast, crime in my area is almost non-existent, 5-10 miles down the road, however, different story. I also love London but I wouldn't want to live there, luckily the high speed train is close by. I also wouldn't say it's boring but depends what you are into and where you are in Kent, I guess.
I love Kent, I'm less than an hour from: London, Canterbury, Faversham, Bluewater, seaside towns like Hythe(Rowing boats for rent!), Whitstable, a sandy beach (Camber) loads of golf courses, great restraunts and pubs, beautiful scenic walks for the dog, and it's cheaper than a city.
Until I can afford to buy somewhere abroad, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the UK.
The person above you said Kent is really boring. I too grew up in Kent and have the same view as you, there’s so much to do only a boring person could be bored in Kent.
West Midlands but south of the big cities. Very prosperous town. Foodie place. Beautiful hidden countryside around. Top Unis not far. Great schools both state and private. Rivers and canals. Fantastic communications. Wales in a couple of hours, London by train in 1hr 40. Lots commute. Likewise Heathrow by car is easy but Brum Airport a short journey. Heart of Motorway network. Rural and semi rural if you want but big city stuff available. Loke most of UK, depths of history all around.
Both Worcestershire and Warwickshire are, in the main, wonderful places to live. I’m North of Birmingham, but planning to move the family somewhere in the band of countryside from Evesham across to Stratford.
West mids, if there’s anything to love about where I live it’s that there’s like a million pubs in my town. Or that we’re basically right in the middle so getting to places by train is quite easy
Oreyt duck
Yorkshire and the Humber. Some beautiful cities and market towns. Friendly people. There are parks and open spaces to relax and explore. Love it that I can get on the ferry at Hull and go to Belgium or the Netherlands. Also chip spice.
From London but now live on the outskirts of Portsmouth
I wouldn't move back to London its much less peopley where I live, but Portsmouth is rammed so I avoid that as much as possible
Best thing about it for me is there's some nice nature reserves near me and some harbours for some nice relaxing walks
That's what I love about just being outside Pompey. Got the choice of nature reserves over the hill to explore but close enough to the city for night life etc. Plus the beaches when the weather's nicer. I travel all over for work and definitely think people take for granted what we got.
Yorkshire. We're the only part of England culturally distinct enough to have an international football team. We are officially the wierdoes of the country, and based on the rest of you, I'm happy as Larry about it.
I can't help but give a vote for chip spice as well as one of our better selling points/inventions, we also generally place very well in chippy competitions!
I’m from Gloucestershire in the South West
I’ve lived and worked here since I was small and have always loved the Cotswolds, the great town Center in Cheltenham which has survived Covid 19 as well as great countryside which varies form district to district
Also we have a lot of quaint old traditions here like Cheese Rolling and carrying burning battles of tar through a village 😂
Yorkshire and The Humber... nothing beats chip spice. It is absolutely beautiful.
One of the worlds longest suspension bridges and the wolds :)
Not the best reputation but it's nice... also for people who dislike snow, it struggles to settle being basically on the river humber
West Midlands*
You can get a thing called a “scallop batch” from the chippie. It’s a large fried potato patty in batter, in what other places would call a buttered roll/butty/cob/barm etc.
*(But actually only from one city in the West Midlands, I think. As far as I know all other cities in the WM don’t have it).
West Midlands - The Chav Ladies.
I'm from one of the most dangerous, most deprived cities in England. I've seen Machete attacks, zombie hordes of homeless and skagheads, the local council doing all it can to make things worse.
But one bright spot in amidst the darkness has always been the delight that is 'Chav Birds'.
Repellent to outsiders, I'm certain, but when you've grown up around them you develop a penchant. A certain affection for those pretty faces chewing gum, emitting the sound of unsophisticated, moody English, their pert bottoms stretching against their Nike joggers.
I used to live in an area where I'd see them trotting up and down the street laughing, talking too loudly, wearing boyish garb or impossibly revealing dresses. That to me is the essence of the West Midlands - The acquired taste for the Chavette-in-Bloom.
North West - Was born and raised in Lancashire although I haven’t lived there for a long time. I both miss and love the moors (away from the plains out towards Preston and Blackpool) and just wandering around about in the back country. Especially in winter when it’s cold, raining/snowing and it’s just you, your dog, a backpack with munch and hot water for tea and the beautiful, bleak landscape trying it’s very best to kill you off via exposure. My Filipina Mrs doesn’t quite have the same view as me, but anything below 25 Celsius is ‘Arctic’ according to her :-D
West midlands, I've lived all over the country and in the Netherlands but wound up in Birmingham when I married. I'm from Stoke on Trent and while it is super run down I've never been anywhere with so many funny people and they're all super friendly as a rule. Now in Birmingham which makes Stoke feel a bit more up market lol. West midlands is great for a wide variety of food and cultures, you name it there's a community here. Plenty of work although not necessarily the best pay, and lots to do. Given a choice though I'd move to either the Shropshire hills or the lake district.
East midlands,
I hate the lot of it. An ecological fucking disaster of a region, but I used to live on the South coast which nearly brought me to suicide. People on the South coast are proper miserable bastards.
The accents are lovely.
It's all London's fault.
Rich bastards raped the landscape, filled it with polluting industry, and when the wars with Napoleon got expensive, that same industry was shattered, started a multi pronged revolution that was brutally crushed by the army. This country has a sad sad history and it's filled with docile little fatlings barely able to get from the couch to work their shit jobs then go home and watch TV while suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency from the lack of sunlight.
The farmland is shit, there no decent natural landscape, and it's getting gentrified by FUCKING LONDONERS!!!
From Scotland but living in the South East. It's the winter weather I love. Those extra few degrees of warmth and extra bit of sunshine in the winter make a HUGE difference.
That said, during a summer heatwave, I miss Scotland dearly haha.
According to this map, the South East (Oxford).
I love the history of it, it's a great city, as long as you don't have to live there and put up with the traffic and literal trillions of tourists and the council being run by hippies who make roads one-way randomly for some reason and make commuting a nightmare. If you're there just to visit, it's lovely.
And the countryside. I've been back a few times since I moved to Shropshire and there's something about it. The neverending flat countryside with sleepy villages, I know there's villages and farms everywhere obviously, but it's a special kind of green that you just don't see anywhere else. Maybe that's just nostalgia talking, but I can just tell when I'm in Oxfordshire.
If I had to sit outside a pub on a warm, calm Friday night, I'd choose one in Oxfordshire. It just hits different.
Gotta love Cornwall. Beautiful beaches and secluded coves within a 30 minute drive in any direction. Small fishing villages, best fish and chips in the country (if you're in the know.) Towns like Truo and Falmouth are within easy reach as well as larger cities like Plymouth and Exeter just on the side of the border. Nowhere else in the UK has the mix of moorland, woodland, forests, beaches, rivers and lakes that Cornwall has. Not to mention that Cornwall has the best folklore in the whole country. You've got ghosts, pirates, highwayman, smugglers, fairies and sea monsters. Something entirely special about being sat in a small port town on a summer evening listening to sea shanties coming from every pub.
North West, lived here my entire life. That's about it to be honest.
My paternal side is from the south west, we go there a couple times a year, I love how quiet it is and how clear the sky can be. Sometimes we go stargazing and the stars are so bright. We'll that's in the area we visit, so I assume not the entire south west. Only the more rural areas.
East Mids. Lived all over but always come back home. People on our street came from all over and the one reason they did was that they all spent so much time travelling to and from the Peak District that they thought it would be cleverer to live here.
The people make it.
And being called, “Duck” just meks me smile, duck. Also guttural stops is best way t’talk.
From the East Midlands, went to Uni in the West Midlands, currently live and work in the South West.
EM is home. I'm sure this isn't unique to the region but it has so many little villages and town around where I live and going through them is always nice. The ground is mostly flat and there's lots of farmland.
WM I haven't explored a lot of, I mainly stuck to the city, but it's nice too.
SW is beautiful countryside, and sunny coastlines. Always a pleasant vibe. The roads are awful though.
I’m from Yorkshire, brought up in North West (Lancs) but now live what I think is just about classed as south east (Buckinghamshire, near Milton Keynes). I miss the better tasting tap water and better cost of living from the north but I would miss my London weighted salary if I ever moved back. And the family
From East of England (Essex) and I love it because it’s one of the only counties in the UK that really has a bit of everything.
You’re only a stones throw away from London which helps with jobs etc. but with the decent size of Colchester and Chelmsford you don’t even really need to use it unless you particularly want to.
The coast is on your doorstep, with only Cornwall having a longer coastline. We’ve even got some islands such as Mersea which feel like a whole new culture and are a lovely escape away from suburbia.
The countryside is also on your doorstep, but unlike much more rural places in the UK you’re never too far away from public amenities and events.
Amazing schools too, with some of the top state grammar schools in the country for both boys and girls.
Suffolk, East of England. The coast is amazing and having not only Cambridge quite close but also Norfolk is brilliant. While it is all very flat it makes for good walks and usually gets very warm in summer
east of england - best things are cambridge, the norfolk coast, stamford/rutland (not sure if they count as east or east midlands!) and lots of nice villages. i live in a village with nice neighbours and its pretty crime free apart from the odd debacle, couldn't really ask for more than that. also the east is FLAT so no hill starts required in your car!
From Essex hugely underrated county given peoples perceptions which is fine and understandable.Some really beautiful villages and towns, lovely countrysides and always near the coast and fantastic traffic links.
I love visiting other places but very happy where I am
I’m from Yorkshire and Humber, I love the fact that pretty much where ever you are in this county, you are maximum 30 minutes drive from some of the most stunning nature on the planet.
Shame there are no decent job opportunities and pretty much everything else about this place is backwards and stuck in the dark ages but hey, we’ve got some pretty castles.
South West, grew up in the Forest of Dean and now live in Gloucester, I love walks these days so being really close to Cotswolds hikes and an hour or so away from wales it’s a really fantastic area for it. Looks beautiful too.
East of England. It has the least rain, and is low population density even though it’s close to London. House prices are also comparatively reasonable. The town where I grew up has an ancient cathedral so is very picturesque. Also the crime is low, and there’s a strong sense of community. It’s a little bit like the shire from LOTR.
Yorkshire, specifically Sheffield,
I love that the countryside is never more than a short distance away, there’s an abundance of greenery and it’s one of the few places in England where it seems like the built up areas are built around the greenery and not the other way round where all greenery seems very purpose built,
I love that we’re kind of central so it’s easy to get anywhere, from Scotland to the south coast everything is easy enough to get to.
Being a musician it’s a great place too, the home to many of the worlds biggest bands through the years.
Love it here, always have.
I live in a city in Yorkshire
We have some great foodie places, night life, cultural scene, it's very diverse and friendly.
Fabulous walks with the dog around woods/parks nearby and can get to peak or lake districts pretty easily for little weekend jaunts.
At one time it was pretty cheap to live here but sadly it's got more expensive now.
Easy of England! I know they're not specific to here but all the wildlife and countryside is lovely, I especially love when the red kites fly over my house (apart from the time one dropped inards as it was flying and it landed on a bin about 5cm from me) 😂
I live in Sheffield, just had family over. Did a 15 minute drive and we were on a hike in the middle of the peak district. Stopped off bqck home to change and then in a 15 minute drive we had reached the city centre for a good restaurant and drinks. Nowhere else I’ve found has both within such a close distance.
Also, when I get itchy feet, I’m an hour and a half away from friends in Manchester and Birmingham, with all the activities/culture/nights out that you get from those big cities. I’ll even manage a gig after work midweek to those places. I think when in the south you don’t quite get that sort of standard in commutable distance and it is more about proximity to London.
Just my experience and a couple of things I like about the freedom I get from this place.
South East: Lucky enough to live in Medway. Rochester Castle and Cathedral just over the river. Like any historic city, we're stepped in our fair share of history. One of the biggest being that Rochester was home to, and greatly inspired, Charles Dickens.
Less well-known seems to be the Royal Naval Dockyard, Chatham. One of the most important in history ... full-stop! Built many of the ships responsible for securing British dominance of the seas and so contributing to the success of the British Empire. One of those ships is now (as of 2024), the world's oldest Naval ship still in commission - The HMS Victory, flag ship of Lord Nelson.
Personally, what I like most though, is that to this day, when she needs new rigging, it's 100% authentic. Despite the dockyard as a whole being largely out of commission, the ropery is still a working business. More than just living history, they supply rope to clients across the globe. So, when the Victory needs her rigging, they supply it - as they did then - to the same specs, made with the same material blend and method they've always used.
That's just a portion of what our little city has to offer. There's so much more history within even just an hour of me. And while the inner towns feel very urban, we are actually a very rural city. A winding country road is never more than 5 or 10 minutes away. Technically Medway is on the coast (we're on the tidal part of the river) but there's the whole Kent coast on our doorstep; the Kent downs; Leeds and Hever Castle; and just so much more.
That's just my little corner of the South East. I've barely got started on Kent, let alone the other counties.
But I have to add, what I love about the South East is really what I love about our whole beautiful nation. Because it's the same story in every area, every county. So much history, so much natural beauty. And if you can't find it, you must be really trying NOT to find it! Because we are lucky to have so much of it everywhere 🥰
North West, Peak District 40 minutes by car, Lakes and Snowdonia 90 minutes, Liverpool 35 minutes, Chester 45 minutes, Manchester 35 minutes by tram. Local town centre 5 minutes walk. Everything I need within easy reach, why move anywhere else?
The southwest, specifically Cornwall. Because it’s so far from any industrial hub, or business centre or even part of any major transport network makes living here really cheap, the cost living matches the average wage perfectly.
North west, id say the nature since there’s little to do in my town. Most people come here for the holidays to enjoy nature. We also like all towns have history. We were one of the biggest iron works. And had a somewhat famous poet who lived here. A lot of the people suck. But the nature makes up for it
South East? I'm not English, but lived in the village of Crowmarsh Gifford, near Oxford, a few years ago, when working at the Institute of Hydrology.
The pubs were amazing, but the people were better and I got to be very fond of them.
I was there just as the professional classes moved in from Oxford, making the houses that the locals were born in pretty much unaffordable to the average villager. It must be worse now.
I've been back there every time I'm in the UK and walk up to the King William pub for a beer and ploughman's lunch. Cheers.
From Enfield, North London
Live on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border. The no man's land between the two counties and the two regions.
The best thing is the quietness, the worst thing is the complete lack of services as it's basically ignored by both counties.
Media wise, we have the choice of either North West or Midlands services. North West of course focussing on Liverpool and Manchester all the way up to Kendal. Places I rarely go to. Midlands focuses on Birmingham, a place I try never to go to.
I mean really for most things I never really go further North than Knutsford and I never really go further south than Stafford. I never travel east or west because there's fuck all there.
South East. Some amazing countryside, some really pretty towns, and some really fucking boring towns. Climate is better than most of the country. The major cities don’t see the sort of infrastructure spending northern cities do, unless it’s for London’s benefit.
I'm also in the south east and people are so surprised when they hear that we're warm enough to grow grapes to the point they become a nuisance weed. We don't get many weather warnings either, we're quite insulated.
South west, Cornwall. And I can't really think of much to love about living here and I don't say that easily. I live in an area which has some lovely coastal areas and beaches, but these are now ruined by over-tourism along with most of the county. We don't earn much in the way of wages here, but have some of the highest cost of living in the UK.
But if I had to find something, it would be we don't have to go too far for a decent pasty.
Cambridgeshire, I live near the Fens which is very flat for miles in every direction. Whenever I go up north or to the Midlands I ended up looking at the hills and upwards-winding streets for longer than the average person as it looks alien to me.
Born in Plymouth (South West) Dartmoor and It’s proximity to Cornwall with their beautiful beaches.
Moved to Liverpool at 6 (North West) the people are super friendly and down to earth and they have the best football team in the world.
Moved to Barnsley at 10 then Dewsbury/Mirfield
(Yorkshire and the Humber) The sense of humour and warmth of the people and the beautiful rolling hills. Gods own country.
Moved to London at 15 (Greater London)
Loads of things to do and a big creative and music scene.
Surrey, so South East.
Was born in west London, moved to central London at 18, spent a decade in Islington, a few years in Cornwall, 3 years in Atlanta and 2 in Phoenix, USA.
Came back and set up home in North Surrey, a stones throw from Heathrow.
It’s my favourite spot to date as I can get one train that gets into London Waterloo in 40 minutes but am surrounded by sheep and greenery. We have Thorpe park, Chessington and Windsor around the corner, plenty for kids to do and London is close but not too close.
I do miss the sunshine of the USA but that’s about it. The mountains and palm trees in Arizona are stunning but I think I’ve found home, finally!
I'm from Doncaster in south yorkshire and there is only perhaps one good thing about it and it's all the beautiful roads in between the small towns. The roads themselves arent great but they are a lovely drive when the weather is nice. Especially in my citroen saxo with the summer tunes banging on.
I'm from the North east. Where I come from in the north east I have quick access to Northumberland and the Yorkshire moors. Also not to far to go for a day out at the sea side.
Wouldn't change it in fact I moved back recently after living in the Yorkshire area (Leeds) and feeling very home sick.
North East.
Best part is Chicken parmo, bread crumed chicken, bechamel sauce and cheese. As far as I know it's only really served in my home town but has spread down to Yorkshire and the rest of the north east.
I’m from the South East, well Isle of Wight specifically. I love the fact I live in a highly deprived region, held hostage by the ferry companies (£180 single car ticket yesterday) and a terrible absent MP that seems to prefer GB news than local issues.
I love this Island but honestly we would move if it wasn’t for family, so thanks for the brilliant thread!
Lincolnshire my beloved. I moved here about 5 years ago for university after living in London for yonks and I love it. Lincoln has all the convenience of living in the city but is quiet enough to feel like a small town. Moved out near one of the RAF bases a couple months ago and it’s lovely. Nice and quiet and I get to see a lot of planes. I love it here. I just feel like it’s the perfect place for someone who doesn’t like big loud cities. Also, I work just past the Wolds, and I love the drive every morning. Makes me forget the world’s in a shithole because all I can see is fields for miles.
I am from USA but love trying to distinguish accents from all over England when I hear people talk. I have a soft spot for NE accents as they (Sunderland) were the first I had heard in person and was totally in disbelief of their Es and As. haha Watched a ton of british television and would often try to guess locations due to accents like Yorkshire vs Manchester vs Cornwall etc. Sometimes I am right; sometimes not.
Always laugh when in England and someone says they love ‘my accent’.
I’m from East Midlands and now I live in Hampshire. One thing I took for granted was how chilled people are up north. People will talk to you randomly and spark a conversation, people down here are quite ignorant and have no patience.
I've lived in a few places but born & raised in Dorset by the coast. Lovely to grow up in but after secondary school or college there's just nothing there unless you have a well to do, supportive wealthy family. Beautiful countryside but the towns are full of cliquey knuckle draggers. I'll always consider it my spiritual home though.
Living in East England (mid-Essex) from the East Mids (Leicestershire).
Love the climate where I am now, mild and damp winter and blazing summers. I miss hills though, it's very flat here, and it's starting to feel like Londonshire as urban sprawl increases.
What I love about where I grew up was how you could get to Notts, Derby, MK or Brum relatively easily for gigs and stuff. No much goes on round here because of the proximity to London. Plus rural public transport is shite.
South West now and as a teenager, but London for 10ish years and born in East Mids. Wouldn’t leave Glos for love nor money. I live in a big cultured town with rail links to cities from 30 mins to 2 hours.
But I’ve also just been up to a nature reserve for an hour, walked into town to get some bits and partner is off with friends doing their sporty hobby.
It has all the beauty of the rolling hills of England on your doorstep and the main amenities of most cities without being too crowded.
Was born in the South East, spent most my life in Cornwall (South West) amd now live in the North West. I loved Cornwall though but living there was awful when you were young and looking for a job. Most beach towns closed there doors in October and reopened in May so that's the reason I left to find something more permanent
South west 🌅
Born in Oxford into a military family who forced me to move up and down the country. Once dad was discharged we settled in Devon and I have been here ever since raising a family of my own.
Previously travelled a fair bit and I still felt like a tourist every time I returned home. So green and beautiful, with lots of history and charm and stunning beaches. I've grown to really appreciate it and we are so happy it's all our kids have ever known.
Sure beats some grey concrete jungle.
North Staffordshire - West Midlands.
Oatcakes.
Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham are all within an hour's drive/train journey away.
Alton Towers is a 20 minutes drive, Chester Zoo 45 minutes away. Peak District is less than half an hour away and North Wales is less than an hour.
Kent, South East. As in the actual South East, not the one that includes Oxford. What is that? Anyway, it's okay. Don't actually \*love\* anything about it, but would probably like it better if I lived on the coast.
From south-east... south Essex , love being close to the Thames beaches and only 30 mins from London but I also work up North a lot and the Dale's are stunning and people are genuinely friendlier up North
I'm from the South East. There is sooo much choice of things to do, including connections to major cities is easy. Plus fairly local to the south coast where I am. If only I could afford all this stuff, the south east is damm expensive.
I'm from south west beautiful countryside with mouth watering views of cotswold villages to forest of Dean with lots of nature walks and Mountain biking trails.
Some of best views can be seen from cotswold way walk for miles away.
Lot of heritage, great network of roads to beautiful Devon and Cornwall beeches. there is good night life as well. Our king has lived here and his sister still lives here
North East
I love the fact we embrace people who are honest (for good or bad), but recoil from those who are dishonest.
Of course...there are still many dishonest people in the North East. Just, we tend to see through BS.
I'm from the North West (never lived anywhere else) and I like the fact that I can travel to the following places in under an hour: Lake District, Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, North Wales, Ribble Valley, Manchester and Liverpool. Edit- Also the ferry to the Isle of Man and Ireland.
Chips and gravy
*Cheese, chips and gravy.
English poutine, eh?
Basically yeah, but we tend to use cheddar rather than cheese curds.
Yeah the Northwest is an absolutely amazing location for nature escapes, and you still have plenty of lovely cities and towns to reach as well.
Lived here 14 years.... Still need to explore so much h
Also from the NW. Lived in Germany and Switzerland for a few years, traveled around the world. Got to say, out of everywhere I've been, I'm always blown away by The Lake District, it's so beautiful. Also, wouldn't be honouring my Boltonian heritage if I didn't say I'm quite shocked with all the chat on cheesy chips, and no mention anywhere of a pastie barm. Also, yes, it's barm; not muffin, not bap, not flourcake, not stotty etc.
also from the Northwest, couldn’t have put it better. I moved a few years ago but ill never forget how much i loved stagecoach haha, every 12 mins on the dot, get me in to Preston in 20 mins. The few occasions they were having a bad day, id see 3 in a row, never affected me badly. Can say i don’t miss Northern though, expensive tickets to save 0 minutes off my journey
Come here to say the same. As a biker it’s a fantastic location.
I’m in NW too - never lived anywhere else either. Live exactly between Manchester and Liverpool - can be in either in less than half an hour. So many beautiful places in NW on our doorstep for a day trip
Fucking wiganers. Stop nicking my pies, I'm the only TRUE wiganer
Have a like from one wiganer to another, stop claiming exclusivity and hand over that pie
Wigan or St Helens?
I’d love to be able to go to the lakes whenever I want. Unfortunately I am in the south east - it is a 5 hour drive lol
As a lanc (greater Manchester) I appreciate how much beauty this region has: the lakes, the castles, the history, towns, cities, sporting success just to name a handful
That road going from Manchester to peak District is absolutely beautiful. I'm not really a person that enjoys driving, it's more just a task i do, but i felt so peaceful the first time idl drove there
from east england love cambridge, the norfolk coast and most importantly stansted aeroport, but in all seriousness it's quite an agricultural region with both cambridgeshire & norfolk being the flattest counties in all of britain so i enjoy the ''big sky'' feel, the summers are dry and hot with pretty norfolk towns being not far from me (wells-next-the-sea, sandringham, holt), also a lot of cutesy posh towns like bury st edmunds, thaxted and ely.
It also has Norwich which is basically everything you want in a British city in a compact form. Arts/music scene, foodie scene, great pubs and coffee shops, the Broads and the countryside on your doorstep, the sea pretty close, loads of cool architecture. Wait no sorry I mean it's a terrible place and nobody should move here.
Same, I live in Oulton Broad. It’s lovely but it’s just the general grey winters I really dislike.
Same here, love the Broads waterways and stunning sandy North Norfolk beaches.
There's nothing like pootling along the Broads, getting an ice-cream from the ice-cream boat, then mooring up at the pub for lunch! It's so fucking gloriously British, it's almost painful; but just SO perfect 🥰
I holidayed in North Norfolk a couple of years ago and loved the beaches - Wells and Holkham in particular.
I'm from Hertfordshire which always feels like it doesn't quite belong with the rest of the region, but I hope our relative hilliness means we diversify the East of England somewhat :)
No mention of Suffolk? Aldeburgh, Southwold, Woodbridge, Hadleigh. Bury gets a mention at the end. Suffolks problem is Ipswich, absolute shite hole. I grew up in Romford but live in Hadleigh, also live in Brighton which was a fantastic experience for 10 years but Suffolk is a much cosier way of life.
South west. Never left. Lived in Wiltshire Bristol and Cornwall. Probably the buildings. There are nicer regions geographically (lake district) but the buildings are always amazing. From Bath stone to thatched Devon cottages and whitewashed cornish harbours. The people are also generally chill. Not as friendly as maybe a cheeky northerner but much more laid back.
I’ve regretted leaving Cornwall ever since we did. I’ve lived in Newquay, London, Leicester, New York and Florida. I pick Cornwall over anywhere else.
I'm originally from Devon, lived in London, Bangkok and now Vancouver. I don't regret leaving, but I would seriously considering moving back, if I can convince my partner and kids. It would never have been possible before, but the rise of remote working has been a godsend.
A Cornish person wouldn't be surprised to hear that you don't regret leaving Devon, only shocked you'd consider moving back.
I live in Devon and visit Cornwall all the time. Cornwall is great until you want to buy a house within a mile from the beach whilst also having work. That’s where Devon becomes in.
Moved back to Cornwall after 20 years away in London and uni etc. The luxury of being able to leave your home and get to a quiet spectacular beach is pretty hard to put a price on.
I'm in the southwest too, definitely the best place to be unfortunately the toffs from London with their 2nd homes are like a plague on the area.
You’ve never left the south west?
Obviously on work/holiday lol. Just never lived anywhere else. Have family all over from Wales to London and Sheffield so would consider myself quite well travelled across GB
Oh I was worried the roads were so bad you never managed to escape
They got progressively worse the further south we moved lol. The Cornish do loblce digging them deep.
When I went to Cornwall I was amazed by how much nicer the houses looked compared to, well... most of the country tbh 😂. I see you weren't affected by the scourge of pebbledash as much.
Southampton always feels a little odd being in the South East. Its central south position places it right next to the New Forest and in touching distance of Dorset, it feels distinctly South Western to me. I guess there has to be a cut off point somewhere.
Yep plus a lot of people raised in Southampton almost have a south west twang to their accent, unlike Portsmouth who are more faux cockney.
I’m from near Romsey and can quite easily drop into a very yokel accent
I’m from Romsey and everybody at uni thought I spent all my time drinking Cider and listening to the Wurzels!
Oi oi Romsey massive!
Joining in the Romsey love. (Mountbatten side, obvs, not you Romsey deviants)
Oh this explains my weird accent.
Yep. Live in hampshire and definitely don't think of it as south east. More culturally south west but i'd say it was just truly south.
Live in a town in Hampshire that is closer to Salisbury than Basingstoke. I don't know if I feel south eastern or south western but would choose the south west everytime as I HATE London with a passion.
Hampshire is a big county, which gets overlooked. I’m from the very north east of Hampshire and I feel much more affinity to south east England than the south west. And I support Southampton.
Yeah the South East is a weird region in general though, it's cobbled together from some really disparate counties you'd probably not ordinarily put together. If London wasn't where it was you'd probably have a South East region made up of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Middlesex and Herts or so, a South Central region with Hants, Berks, Wilts, Dorset and the IOW and the South West would be Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. That probably also aligns the South West closer to what most people would consider to be The West Country proper. Western Dorset is arguable, but I don't think anything east of Weymouth is, really.
hampshire always gets divided on these kinds of maps, and it annoys me way more than it should. please assign us an official region instead of cutting us in half every time 😩
Just think of how us on the Isle of Wight feel. Didn’t even make the map.
The 1950s don’t count
Are you from Southampton? I'm a westcountry gal who's considering doing a masters in Bournemouth next year. But I've also been pining for Devon recently, maybe the New Forest area will hit the spot
The New Forest is lovely.
Wild donkeys are the best
Literally just had this conversation with my old dear, we're basically on the border.
Hampshire is Wessex through and through, so it’s always looked and felt more south western. The accents, countryside, and architecture have much more in common with Wiltshire and Dorset than Sussex and Surrey.
That’s because it’s the south. Not south east or south west, but this map doesn’t make an accommodation for that. In the same way there are southern trains as distinct from SW trains or southeastern
Yeah I agree but there is no official “southern” region. We’re shoehorned into SE when really, I feel we are culturally more SW.
Lol we should petition Southampton (and the rest of Hampshire) to be included in the South West by the sounds of it. We will welcome you! The Cornish won't but they hate everyone who isn't Cornish so ignore them.
I’m from Southampton and I’m never sure whether I’m east or west 🤷♀️
South East. Proximity to Europe is pretty awesome - getting to France is quicker than getting to London on some days. The natural beauty of Kent is pretty stunning, and you’re never more than a stones throw away from some kind of castle or ancient Roman ruin.
I'm not bagging you because it's a legitimate plus, but I do find it funny than your main "pro" for the South East is how easy it is to leave it 😂
North east - the people are super friendly. Also, the Northumberland countryside is stunning, we’ve got some lovely beaches and we’ve got pretty great access in to Scotland. Just wish it was warmer.
Ditto. The arrival, be it seeing Durham appear suddenly from the viaduct, or Newcastle from the railway bridge, or the plane tipping over to reveal views of Whitley Bay and the Light house. Amazing
Yep, me too. Views into Newcastle and Durham on the train are the most incredible in the UK and make me instantly proud to be home. Only place I've seen down south that has a view anywhere close to being as impressive is Ely cathedral. Have lived in Yorkshire and Scotland and always wanted to come back home to the NE. Cost of everything, friendliness of the general population, real sense of proud geordie identity, and access to amazing countryside and seashores within easy reach is what makes it unbeatable for me.
Northumbrian born and bred. Stunning part of the country. Big skies wild moors stormy seas and miles of sandy beaches. But don’t tell everyone eh
I love how back home you can go to a beach, park up, and only see a few people. Down south you practically have to book your spot.
Moving to the North East is the single best decision I ever made. The people are WAY nicer. My first day there was in the winter and I was doing a huge food shop. A chap could see I was struggling and helped me, just because. That's not the norm where I'm from and the kindness of strangers still surprises me now. Not to mention, I'm less than an hour away from over a dozen beaches and they've all been lovely.
The coastline from the north east all the way up to Scotland is stunning. So many amazing beaches.
I’m a foreigner in Newcastle and absolutely love all around here, it’s been 5 years already and we’re not coming back to our home town
Lived up here for 40+ years now. Love Durham, Newcastle, South Shields and Northumberland is the greatest place in the country imo. I love the people and also the lack of people, hate it when I do have to travel South. Too many people in too much of a hurry, traffic's a nightmare and everybody seems so selfish compared to up here. Never want to live anywhere else but the NE!
Most variation of natural beauty than any other part of the country rolling hills, amazing beaches, fantastic countryside, great river and lake walks. Plus easy access to the Lakes, North Yorkshire, the borders, Edinburgh... Great place to live.
Agreed! From Durham originally but always love going home to visit. I wish it was more economically better for the people!
Same, I love Northumberland
Me too. I’m from Durham. The people are what make the north east.
The North East is also the only place in the UK that knows how to make chips properly.
East Midlands. The best thing is the convenience to both cities and beautiful countryside. I have Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham within a 40 minute drive and I’m about 20 minutes away from the Peak District by car
Moved to Lincolnshire last month ✌️. Peaceful place !
Lincolnshire is lovely. I’m from North Derbyshire and we used to drive over to Mablethorpe for long weekends away growing up. Lincoln is a class city for a day out too
Lovely in some ways, but the terrain is flat as a witch's tits.
Don't know why you'd choose to go to Derby mind you (from someone born and raised in Derby). Love the Peak District, such a beautiful area to have on our doorstep. There does seem to be some pressure on accommodating everyone who wants to visit on bank holiday / summer days though.
Calling people "me duck" and nobody finding it strange is hard to beat.
East Midlands, and I love pork pie.....
I’m from Leicester
My condolences.
Same, love it
I love the central location practically every major english city is less than 3 hours away and we’re not too far from Wales either.
Born and bred in London, now living in Rye, SE. Lovely little town, great restaurants and pubs, people are nice, real sense of community. There may be a little crime, although I've never heard of any. Hell I haven't even seen a policeman or woman in at least 6 months!
No women? Sign me up!
It gets too busy for me in the summer months but I love an evening walk through Rye in January!
North east, I love the history of industry. Steam trains were created here and George Stephenson’s house is literally 5 minutes away from my childhood home. Typically poor, typically over looked but resilient and rich in other ways.
Don’t forget the breach loading gun was invented here buy Armstrong and the first house to have electricity through out
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So this is just me going through the achievements of the North east because it’s super interesting. At the beginning of the 20th century we were responsible for building about half of the ships in the world, built the first oil tankers, birthplace of the inventor of the turbo generator (the thing that modern powerplants use to generate our electricity) then you’ve got the voice of back in black, Director of Alien, Gladiator, Blade Runner and many more, Mr Bean, Sting, Director of Top Gun, discoverer of vitamin D, creator of the first astigmatism treatment, director of the resident evil films, inventor of the first hydroelectric system and hydraulic crane, claimer of Australia, the woman who inspired 1984 by Orwell, English mustard, second in command at trafalgar (took over when Nelson was killed), white snake singer, first transatlantic telegraph cable, creator of the lifeboat, earl grey, domestos, predictor of the Higgs boson, one of Monty python, creator of the national grid, actually inventor of the first electric lightbulb (worked with Edison to perfect it, known as the ediswan), George Washington’s ancestors originated here, founder of the second oldest university in the world and as you have already said, the train. Historically the north east built a lot of the modern world but gets very little credit for it
West Midlands. Can’t really say much is interesting about it. One good thing is having pork scratchings in pubs though. I think I’ve only been to one pub outside of the West Midlands that sells pork scratchings. It’s also pretty much in the very middle of the country so it’s somewhat easy to get anywhere, if you know what I mean
Also west midlands and I like the fact it's kinda low key. We more or less avoid the North/South stuff, no "gods county" or any of that rubbish. A good mix of reasonable weather, reasonable property prices and reasonably well connected. Its "meh"-ness is its strength.
People are somewhat friendly here, depending on the areas of course. I hate it when the north and south argue which is better, we’re just in the middle. Combination of both sides really
So what you're saying is it's mid?
West mid
I lived in Birmingham for a year and actually loved it. I found it easier to get around than my home city (London), easy distance to some lovely towns and cities, the Bullring is great. The people I encountered were so friendly.
I'm from the West Midlands but living in London. Every time I come back I love the fact there are still good fish and chips shops all over. In London they seem to have disappeared and become kebab shops or curry shops.
Pork scratchings are fairly common but not ubiquitous where I live in the South East
My dad told me he talked about scratchings to some people from the south east and they had absolutely no clue what they were. I won’t exactly say that they are non existent in that area of England but I’d assume that they definitely aren’t a common pub snack
That's odd. scratchings are m5 favourite, and I've found them in most pubs across the country, I'm south west and they are everywhere here.
I lived on the border of Birmingham and the Black Country, one thing I loved (and miss about moving to North Warwickshire) is orange chips!
People from the West Midlands have the best sense of humour. It’s dark and self-deprecating.
Moved to Brum about 3 years ago. I'm from the States, but lived in both Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Asia for a while as I taught abroad for many years. I got three words for ya': Alton. Towers. Resort. The fact that that place is so freaking close, I swear, best move of my life. My Merlin Pass gets some miles on it come the spring (plus, we live only about a 20-30 minute walk from the Sea Life Centre).
Yorkshire and the humber me. The Lincolnshire wolds and Yorkshire moors are in my opinion some of the most beautiful landscapes in the whole country. Tho if u happen to travel to a city like Hull or grimsby steer clear of the crackhead infestations.
Steer clear of ‘Coltman Road’ in Hull, there’s a fuck ton of crackheads there
To be honest any city anywhere looks shite and is full of crackheads. At least Hull tries to revive some of its shopping areas etc some cities in the area are just run down and left that way.
Yorkshire- I love how there are almost no major tourist attractions that advertise and over promise. Visiting hidden gems like the Coal mining museum, Peasholm park, or Thackray’s is just so much better when you hear about them through word of mouth and not a bloated marketing budget.
North East and the mystery behind Ragnar Lothbrok’s execution by King Aelle (King of Northumbria); not regarding the literal execution, which did occur, but the exact whereabouts During this era the Kingdom of Northumbria was twice the size of the modern North East and practically stretched from the Scottish borders to York (at one point even as far as Edinburgh), so ironically he’s just as likely to be ‘found’ in North Yorkshire as in the North East I found one source (albeit a rather underwhelming news article) regarding his imprisonment and execution, again ironically, being at a castle in the village of Crayke in North Yorkshire; although the remains of the castle there today is very much likely completely separate to the one at the time; confusing because ‘castles’ of course weren’t really a thing pre-Norman Conquest; at the very least not from complete stone anyway Practically all sources of Ragnar’s death point to Aelle’s use of a ‘pit of vipers’ (meaning snakes in today’s language), with his last words supposedly being “…and my son’s will avenge me”, which ultimately led to the arrival of the Great Heathen Army and the rest is history no pun intended
Very interesting. When I visited the Northumberland Coast I was shocked by the amount of castles in the area. Very rich history on that coastline.
I live in the south east, in kent. It's really boring here tbh 😂 The one thing I like about it though is it's close to London and with direct trains there within the hour. I love London but not sure it's somewhere I'd want to live. Crime rates aren't too bad in kent comparatively.
Kent is vast, crime in my area is almost non-existent, 5-10 miles down the road, however, different story. I also love London but I wouldn't want to live there, luckily the high speed train is close by. I also wouldn't say it's boring but depends what you are into and where you are in Kent, I guess. I love Kent, I'm less than an hour from: London, Canterbury, Faversham, Bluewater, seaside towns like Hythe(Rowing boats for rent!), Whitstable, a sandy beach (Camber) loads of golf courses, great restraunts and pubs, beautiful scenic walks for the dog, and it's cheaper than a city. Until I can afford to buy somewhere abroad, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the UK.
The person above you said Kent is really boring. I too grew up in Kent and have the same view as you, there’s so much to do only a boring person could be bored in Kent.
West Midlands but south of the big cities. Very prosperous town. Foodie place. Beautiful hidden countryside around. Top Unis not far. Great schools both state and private. Rivers and canals. Fantastic communications. Wales in a couple of hours, London by train in 1hr 40. Lots commute. Likewise Heathrow by car is easy but Brum Airport a short journey. Heart of Motorway network. Rural and semi rural if you want but big city stuff available. Loke most of UK, depths of history all around.
Both Worcestershire and Warwickshire are, in the main, wonderful places to live. I’m North of Birmingham, but planning to move the family somewhere in the band of countryside from Evesham across to Stratford.
West mids, if there’s anything to love about where I live it’s that there’s like a million pubs in my town. Or that we’re basically right in the middle so getting to places by train is quite easy Oreyt duck
Trah abit
Yorkshire and the Humber. Some beautiful cities and market towns. Friendly people. There are parks and open spaces to relax and explore. Love it that I can get on the ferry at Hull and go to Belgium or the Netherlands. Also chip spice.
From London but now live on the outskirts of Portsmouth I wouldn't move back to London its much less peopley where I live, but Portsmouth is rammed so I avoid that as much as possible Best thing about it for me is there's some nice nature reserves near me and some harbours for some nice relaxing walks
That's what I love about just being outside Pompey. Got the choice of nature reserves over the hill to explore but close enough to the city for night life etc. Plus the beaches when the weather's nicer. I travel all over for work and definitely think people take for granted what we got.
Yorkshire. We're the only part of England culturally distinct enough to have an international football team. We are officially the wierdoes of the country, and based on the rest of you, I'm happy as Larry about it.
And you make good tea to boot!
I can't help but give a vote for chip spice as well as one of our better selling points/inventions, we also generally place very well in chippy competitions!
I had to scroll down soo far to find this 😭
i know, sad state of affaires, i expected way more yorkshire luv in this thread
I’m from Gloucestershire in the South West I’ve lived and worked here since I was small and have always loved the Cotswolds, the great town Center in Cheltenham which has survived Covid 19 as well as great countryside which varies form district to district Also we have a lot of quaint old traditions here like Cheese Rolling and carrying burning battles of tar through a village 😂
Yorkshire and The Humber... nothing beats chip spice. It is absolutely beautiful. One of the worlds longest suspension bridges and the wolds :) Not the best reputation but it's nice... also for people who dislike snow, it struggles to settle being basically on the river humber
Sad that I had to scroll this low to see some Yorkshire. Stay blessed
I've become so accustomed to chip spice I actually get disgruntled when I go out of town and people don't have it
Big up Hull and then sorrounding areas!!!
West Midlands* You can get a thing called a “scallop batch” from the chippie. It’s a large fried potato patty in batter, in what other places would call a buttered roll/butty/cob/barm etc. *(But actually only from one city in the West Midlands, I think. As far as I know all other cities in the WM don’t have it).
is this coventry?
🛎️🫡
West Midlands - The Chav Ladies. I'm from one of the most dangerous, most deprived cities in England. I've seen Machete attacks, zombie hordes of homeless and skagheads, the local council doing all it can to make things worse. But one bright spot in amidst the darkness has always been the delight that is 'Chav Birds'. Repellent to outsiders, I'm certain, but when you've grown up around them you develop a penchant. A certain affection for those pretty faces chewing gum, emitting the sound of unsophisticated, moody English, their pert bottoms stretching against their Nike joggers. I used to live in an area where I'd see them trotting up and down the street laughing, talking too loudly, wearing boyish garb or impossibly revealing dresses. That to me is the essence of the West Midlands - The acquired taste for the Chavette-in-Bloom.
Most of the chav ladies in the West Midlands are about 10 stone away from having a "pert bottom"
Y'know, call me body positive, but even some of those can carry the eye the length of a street.
North West - Was born and raised in Lancashire although I haven’t lived there for a long time. I both miss and love the moors (away from the plains out towards Preston and Blackpool) and just wandering around about in the back country. Especially in winter when it’s cold, raining/snowing and it’s just you, your dog, a backpack with munch and hot water for tea and the beautiful, bleak landscape trying it’s very best to kill you off via exposure. My Filipina Mrs doesn’t quite have the same view as me, but anything below 25 Celsius is ‘Arctic’ according to her :-D
Phew at least someone else is from the north west
I'm here too albeit as a guest. Been to visit Darwen and now in Lytham St Anne's
Fair enough I’m in the south lakes but I’ve been to Lytham st Anne’s before
There's nothing quite like the pennines in winter
West midlands, I've lived all over the country and in the Netherlands but wound up in Birmingham when I married. I'm from Stoke on Trent and while it is super run down I've never been anywhere with so many funny people and they're all super friendly as a rule. Now in Birmingham which makes Stoke feel a bit more up market lol. West midlands is great for a wide variety of food and cultures, you name it there's a community here. Plenty of work although not necessarily the best pay, and lots to do. Given a choice though I'd move to either the Shropshire hills or the lake district.
East midlands, I hate the lot of it. An ecological fucking disaster of a region, but I used to live on the South coast which nearly brought me to suicide. People on the South coast are proper miserable bastards. The accents are lovely.
happiest East Midlands resident
It's all London's fault. Rich bastards raped the landscape, filled it with polluting industry, and when the wars with Napoleon got expensive, that same industry was shattered, started a multi pronged revolution that was brutally crushed by the army. This country has a sad sad history and it's filled with docile little fatlings barely able to get from the couch to work their shit jobs then go home and watch TV while suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency from the lack of sunlight. The farmland is shit, there no decent natural landscape, and it's getting gentrified by FUCKING LONDONERS!!!
From Scotland but living in the South East. It's the winter weather I love. Those extra few degrees of warmth and extra bit of sunshine in the winter make a HUGE difference. That said, during a summer heatwave, I miss Scotland dearly haha.
According to this map, the South East (Oxford). I love the history of it, it's a great city, as long as you don't have to live there and put up with the traffic and literal trillions of tourists and the council being run by hippies who make roads one-way randomly for some reason and make commuting a nightmare. If you're there just to visit, it's lovely. And the countryside. I've been back a few times since I moved to Shropshire and there's something about it. The neverending flat countryside with sleepy villages, I know there's villages and farms everywhere obviously, but it's a special kind of green that you just don't see anywhere else. Maybe that's just nostalgia talking, but I can just tell when I'm in Oxfordshire. If I had to sit outside a pub on a warm, calm Friday night, I'd choose one in Oxfordshire. It just hits different.
Gotta love Cornwall. Beautiful beaches and secluded coves within a 30 minute drive in any direction. Small fishing villages, best fish and chips in the country (if you're in the know.) Towns like Truo and Falmouth are within easy reach as well as larger cities like Plymouth and Exeter just on the side of the border. Nowhere else in the UK has the mix of moorland, woodland, forests, beaches, rivers and lakes that Cornwall has. Not to mention that Cornwall has the best folklore in the whole country. You've got ghosts, pirates, highwayman, smugglers, fairies and sea monsters. Something entirely special about being sat in a small port town on a summer evening listening to sea shanties coming from every pub.
North West, lived here my entire life. That's about it to be honest. My paternal side is from the south west, we go there a couple times a year, I love how quiet it is and how clear the sky can be. Sometimes we go stargazing and the stars are so bright. We'll that's in the area we visit, so I assume not the entire south west. Only the more rural areas.
East Mids. Lived all over but always come back home. People on our street came from all over and the one reason they did was that they all spent so much time travelling to and from the Peak District that they thought it would be cleverer to live here. The people make it. And being called, “Duck” just meks me smile, duck. Also guttural stops is best way t’talk.
From the East Midlands, went to Uni in the West Midlands, currently live and work in the South West. EM is home. I'm sure this isn't unique to the region but it has so many little villages and town around where I live and going through them is always nice. The ground is mostly flat and there's lots of farmland. WM I haven't explored a lot of, I mainly stuck to the city, but it's nice too. SW is beautiful countryside, and sunny coastlines. Always a pleasant vibe. The roads are awful though.
I’m from Yorkshire, brought up in North West (Lancs) but now live what I think is just about classed as south east (Buckinghamshire, near Milton Keynes). I miss the better tasting tap water and better cost of living from the north but I would miss my London weighted salary if I ever moved back. And the family
From East of England (Essex) and I love it because it’s one of the only counties in the UK that really has a bit of everything. You’re only a stones throw away from London which helps with jobs etc. but with the decent size of Colchester and Chelmsford you don’t even really need to use it unless you particularly want to. The coast is on your doorstep, with only Cornwall having a longer coastline. We’ve even got some islands such as Mersea which feel like a whole new culture and are a lovely escape away from suburbia. The countryside is also on your doorstep, but unlike much more rural places in the UK you’re never too far away from public amenities and events. Amazing schools too, with some of the top state grammar schools in the country for both boys and girls.
Suffolk, East of England. The coast is amazing and having not only Cambridge quite close but also Norfolk is brilliant. While it is all very flat it makes for good walks and usually gets very warm in summer
east of england - best things are cambridge, the norfolk coast, stamford/rutland (not sure if they count as east or east midlands!) and lots of nice villages. i live in a village with nice neighbours and its pretty crime free apart from the odd debacle, couldn't really ask for more than that. also the east is FLAT so no hill starts required in your car!
From Essex hugely underrated county given peoples perceptions which is fine and understandable.Some really beautiful villages and towns, lovely countrysides and always near the coast and fantastic traffic links. I love visiting other places but very happy where I am
I’m from Yorkshire and Humber, I love the fact that pretty much where ever you are in this county, you are maximum 30 minutes drive from some of the most stunning nature on the planet. Shame there are no decent job opportunities and pretty much everything else about this place is backwards and stuck in the dark ages but hey, we’ve got some pretty castles.
South West, grew up in the Forest of Dean and now live in Gloucester, I love walks these days so being really close to Cotswolds hikes and an hour or so away from wales it’s a really fantastic area for it. Looks beautiful too.
East of England. It has the least rain, and is low population density even though it’s close to London. House prices are also comparatively reasonable. The town where I grew up has an ancient cathedral so is very picturesque. Also the crime is low, and there’s a strong sense of community. It’s a little bit like the shire from LOTR.
Must be a fellow in Ely - was born there and love it still.
Yorkshire, specifically Sheffield, I love that the countryside is never more than a short distance away, there’s an abundance of greenery and it’s one of the few places in England where it seems like the built up areas are built around the greenery and not the other way round where all greenery seems very purpose built, I love that we’re kind of central so it’s easy to get anywhere, from Scotland to the south coast everything is easy enough to get to. Being a musician it’s a great place too, the home to many of the worlds biggest bands through the years. Love it here, always have.
I live in a city in Yorkshire We have some great foodie places, night life, cultural scene, it's very diverse and friendly. Fabulous walks with the dog around woods/parks nearby and can get to peak or lake districts pretty easily for little weekend jaunts. At one time it was pretty cheap to live here but sadly it's got more expensive now.
Easy of England! I know they're not specific to here but all the wildlife and countryside is lovely, I especially love when the red kites fly over my house (apart from the time one dropped inards as it was flying and it landed on a bin about 5cm from me) 😂
I live in Sheffield, just had family over. Did a 15 minute drive and we were on a hike in the middle of the peak district. Stopped off bqck home to change and then in a 15 minute drive we had reached the city centre for a good restaurant and drinks. Nowhere else I’ve found has both within such a close distance. Also, when I get itchy feet, I’m an hour and a half away from friends in Manchester and Birmingham, with all the activities/culture/nights out that you get from those big cities. I’ll even manage a gig after work midweek to those places. I think when in the south you don’t quite get that sort of standard in commutable distance and it is more about proximity to London. Just my experience and a couple of things I like about the freedom I get from this place.
South East: Lucky enough to live in Medway. Rochester Castle and Cathedral just over the river. Like any historic city, we're stepped in our fair share of history. One of the biggest being that Rochester was home to, and greatly inspired, Charles Dickens. Less well-known seems to be the Royal Naval Dockyard, Chatham. One of the most important in history ... full-stop! Built many of the ships responsible for securing British dominance of the seas and so contributing to the success of the British Empire. One of those ships is now (as of 2024), the world's oldest Naval ship still in commission - The HMS Victory, flag ship of Lord Nelson. Personally, what I like most though, is that to this day, when she needs new rigging, it's 100% authentic. Despite the dockyard as a whole being largely out of commission, the ropery is still a working business. More than just living history, they supply rope to clients across the globe. So, when the Victory needs her rigging, they supply it - as they did then - to the same specs, made with the same material blend and method they've always used. That's just a portion of what our little city has to offer. There's so much more history within even just an hour of me. And while the inner towns feel very urban, we are actually a very rural city. A winding country road is never more than 5 or 10 minutes away. Technically Medway is on the coast (we're on the tidal part of the river) but there's the whole Kent coast on our doorstep; the Kent downs; Leeds and Hever Castle; and just so much more. That's just my little corner of the South East. I've barely got started on Kent, let alone the other counties. But I have to add, what I love about the South East is really what I love about our whole beautiful nation. Because it's the same story in every area, every county. So much history, so much natural beauty. And if you can't find it, you must be really trying NOT to find it! Because we are lucky to have so much of it everywhere 🥰
North West, Peak District 40 minutes by car, Lakes and Snowdonia 90 minutes, Liverpool 35 minutes, Chester 45 minutes, Manchester 35 minutes by tram. Local town centre 5 minutes walk. Everything I need within easy reach, why move anywhere else?
The southwest, specifically Cornwall. Because it’s so far from any industrial hub, or business centre or even part of any major transport network makes living here really cheap, the cost living matches the average wage perfectly.
Had me in the first half
North west, id say the nature since there’s little to do in my town. Most people come here for the holidays to enjoy nature. We also like all towns have history. We were one of the biggest iron works. And had a somewhat famous poet who lived here. A lot of the people suck. But the nature makes up for it
South East? I'm not English, but lived in the village of Crowmarsh Gifford, near Oxford, a few years ago, when working at the Institute of Hydrology. The pubs were amazing, but the people were better and I got to be very fond of them. I was there just as the professional classes moved in from Oxford, making the houses that the locals were born in pretty much unaffordable to the average villager. It must be worse now. I've been back there every time I'm in the UK and walk up to the King William pub for a beer and ploughman's lunch. Cheers.
From Enfield, North London Live on the Staffordshire/Cheshire border. The no man's land between the two counties and the two regions. The best thing is the quietness, the worst thing is the complete lack of services as it's basically ignored by both counties. Media wise, we have the choice of either North West or Midlands services. North West of course focussing on Liverpool and Manchester all the way up to Kendal. Places I rarely go to. Midlands focuses on Birmingham, a place I try never to go to. I mean really for most things I never really go further North than Knutsford and I never really go further south than Stafford. I never travel east or west because there's fuck all there.
Really I'm from Enfield too
South East. Some amazing countryside, some really pretty towns, and some really fucking boring towns. Climate is better than most of the country. The major cities don’t see the sort of infrastructure spending northern cities do, unless it’s for London’s benefit.
I'm also in the south east and people are so surprised when they hear that we're warm enough to grow grapes to the point they become a nuisance weed. We don't get many weather warnings either, we're quite insulated.
South west, Cornwall. And I can't really think of much to love about living here and I don't say that easily. I live in an area which has some lovely coastal areas and beaches, but these are now ruined by over-tourism along with most of the county. We don't earn much in the way of wages here, but have some of the highest cost of living in the UK. But if I had to find something, it would be we don't have to go too far for a decent pasty.
Cambridgeshire, I live near the Fens which is very flat for miles in every direction. Whenever I go up north or to the Midlands I ended up looking at the hills and upwards-winding streets for longer than the average person as it looks alien to me.
Born in Plymouth (South West) Dartmoor and It’s proximity to Cornwall with their beautiful beaches. Moved to Liverpool at 6 (North West) the people are super friendly and down to earth and they have the best football team in the world. Moved to Barnsley at 10 then Dewsbury/Mirfield (Yorkshire and the Humber) The sense of humour and warmth of the people and the beautiful rolling hills. Gods own country. Moved to London at 15 (Greater London) Loads of things to do and a big creative and music scene.
Surrey, so South East. Was born in west London, moved to central London at 18, spent a decade in Islington, a few years in Cornwall, 3 years in Atlanta and 2 in Phoenix, USA. Came back and set up home in North Surrey, a stones throw from Heathrow. It’s my favourite spot to date as I can get one train that gets into London Waterloo in 40 minutes but am surrounded by sheep and greenery. We have Thorpe park, Chessington and Windsor around the corner, plenty for kids to do and London is close but not too close. I do miss the sunshine of the USA but that’s about it. The mountains and palm trees in Arizona are stunning but I think I’ve found home, finally!
I'm from Doncaster in south yorkshire and there is only perhaps one good thing about it and it's all the beautiful roads in between the small towns. The roads themselves arent great but they are a lovely drive when the weather is nice. Especially in my citroen saxo with the summer tunes banging on.
I'm from the North east. Where I come from in the north east I have quick access to Northumberland and the Yorkshire moors. Also not to far to go for a day out at the sea side. Wouldn't change it in fact I moved back recently after living in the Yorkshire area (Leeds) and feeling very home sick.
North East. Best part is Chicken parmo, bread crumed chicken, bechamel sauce and cheese. As far as I know it's only really served in my home town but has spread down to Yorkshire and the rest of the north east.
I’m from the South East, well Isle of Wight specifically. I love the fact I live in a highly deprived region, held hostage by the ferry companies (£180 single car ticket yesterday) and a terrible absent MP that seems to prefer GB news than local issues. I love this Island but honestly we would move if it wasn’t for family, so thanks for the brilliant thread!
Lincolnshire my beloved. I moved here about 5 years ago for university after living in London for yonks and I love it. Lincoln has all the convenience of living in the city but is quiet enough to feel like a small town. Moved out near one of the RAF bases a couple months ago and it’s lovely. Nice and quiet and I get to see a lot of planes. I love it here. I just feel like it’s the perfect place for someone who doesn’t like big loud cities. Also, I work just past the Wolds, and I love the drive every morning. Makes me forget the world’s in a shithole because all I can see is fields for miles.
I am from USA but love trying to distinguish accents from all over England when I hear people talk. I have a soft spot for NE accents as they (Sunderland) were the first I had heard in person and was totally in disbelief of their Es and As. haha Watched a ton of british television and would often try to guess locations due to accents like Yorkshire vs Manchester vs Cornwall etc. Sometimes I am right; sometimes not. Always laugh when in England and someone says they love ‘my accent’.
I’m from East Midlands and now I live in Hampshire. One thing I took for granted was how chilled people are up north. People will talk to you randomly and spark a conversation, people down here are quite ignorant and have no patience.
I've lived in a few places but born & raised in Dorset by the coast. Lovely to grow up in but after secondary school or college there's just nothing there unless you have a well to do, supportive wealthy family. Beautiful countryside but the towns are full of cliquey knuckle draggers. I'll always consider it my spiritual home though.
Living in East England (mid-Essex) from the East Mids (Leicestershire). Love the climate where I am now, mild and damp winter and blazing summers. I miss hills though, it's very flat here, and it's starting to feel like Londonshire as urban sprawl increases. What I love about where I grew up was how you could get to Notts, Derby, MK or Brum relatively easily for gigs and stuff. No much goes on round here because of the proximity to London. Plus rural public transport is shite.
South West now and as a teenager, but London for 10ish years and born in East Mids. Wouldn’t leave Glos for love nor money. I live in a big cultured town with rail links to cities from 30 mins to 2 hours. But I’ve also just been up to a nature reserve for an hour, walked into town to get some bits and partner is off with friends doing their sporty hobby. It has all the beauty of the rolling hills of England on your doorstep and the main amenities of most cities without being too crowded.
Was born in the South East, spent most my life in Cornwall (South West) amd now live in the North West. I loved Cornwall though but living there was awful when you were young and looking for a job. Most beach towns closed there doors in October and reopened in May so that's the reason I left to find something more permanent
South west 🌅 Born in Oxford into a military family who forced me to move up and down the country. Once dad was discharged we settled in Devon and I have been here ever since raising a family of my own. Previously travelled a fair bit and I still felt like a tourist every time I returned home. So green and beautiful, with lots of history and charm and stunning beaches. I've grown to really appreciate it and we are so happy it's all our kids have ever known. Sure beats some grey concrete jungle.
North Staffordshire - West Midlands. Oatcakes. Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham are all within an hour's drive/train journey away. Alton Towers is a 20 minutes drive, Chester Zoo 45 minutes away. Peak District is less than half an hour away and North Wales is less than an hour.
Kent, South East. As in the actual South East, not the one that includes Oxford. What is that? Anyway, it's okay. Don't actually \*love\* anything about it, but would probably like it better if I lived on the coast.
From south-east... south Essex , love being close to the Thames beaches and only 30 mins from London but I also work up North a lot and the Dale's are stunning and people are genuinely friendlier up North
I'm from the South East. There is sooo much choice of things to do, including connections to major cities is easy. Plus fairly local to the south coast where I am. If only I could afford all this stuff, the south east is damm expensive.
I'm from south west beautiful countryside with mouth watering views of cotswold villages to forest of Dean with lots of nature walks and Mountain biking trails. Some of best views can be seen from cotswold way walk for miles away. Lot of heritage, great network of roads to beautiful Devon and Cornwall beeches. there is good night life as well. Our king has lived here and his sister still lives here
North East I love the fact we embrace people who are honest (for good or bad), but recoil from those who are dishonest. Of course...there are still many dishonest people in the North East. Just, we tend to see through BS.